Guilty Pleasure
by dream royale
Summary: As Kagura and Saiga escape Suitengu and Ginza's greedy clutches, they discover more information about their mysterious illnesses and each other.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

If you've read my other stuff, this may be a bit of a culture shock. I tried to make to make this fiction as close to the real deal as possible—mature content included. So try not to be overly concerned when I drop the f-bomb a million times and pair a thirty-year-old war photographer with a fifteen-year-old. (The way I figure it, what could be worse than Kataang being canon?)

It would be most useful to you if you've seen _Speed Grapher_.

If you've never read any of my stuff before, then thanks for the interest! Check out my author profile for more information and updates.

_Guilty Pleasure_ is just as it might suggest. I portray the characters' guilty pleasures while satisfying my own: I wasn't satisfied with the way Kagura and Saiga's relationship ended up on the show, so I made my own alternate ending.

The characters do not belong to me. They are the creations of Gonzo.

This fan fiction takes place after Episode 15: Hell Is a Wet Woman.

. . .

It seemed to Saiga that after the war, everything in his life was a quick fix: tabloid photography, Ginza, smoking, drinking. He didn't hate his life. He just wasn't living anymore. To avoid the painful memories, he put off thinking about the war, and in not thinking about the war, he forgot his life before the war. All that was left was the patch-job, quick-fix present.

Then he met her.

Suddenly and increasingly, Saiga found his life revolving around rescuing, rehabilitating, culturing, caring for Kagura and cultivating a purpose for his dull life. She never asked for any of those things. He simply gave them to her, and in doing so, he saved himself from mediocrity.

After the final pull before Suitengu's wedding, Saiga and Kagura painstakingly took back roads, small towns, little pieces of nowhere.

...

They settled back into amiable silence that night. The jitters the mermaid had given them finally subsided enough that they could pull over and heat up the canned soup Saiga had brought.

"Now this _really_ isn't much," he said apologetically. "But it's food."

"Anything is better than nothing." Kagura shrugged.

He stirred the pot a couple times. "Listen. What you did back there…." He shook his head. "Thank you for not staying in the car."

"I'm getting better at not doing what I'm told." She giggled. "Forget about it, Saiga. I owe you one or two, anyway."

He smiled. "So, uh, why don't you help me work on this whole 'awkward' thing."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't worry as much as you do. I'm fine, really."

"That remains to be seen." Saiga's face darkened.

"See? You're doing it again. Stop trying to shut me out and talk to me and actually listen."

His mind flickered back to Ginza. "Yeah. I've been told I don't talk as much as I should."

"So talk to me. Tell me what's on your mind."

Saiga glanced in Kagura's direction and frowned. "I don't need a therapist, kid."

"I'm not a therapist. I'm a friend!"

He spooned a bowl of soup and handed it to her. "Careful. It's hot."

She bent her head and took a small sip. "This is great! Thanks."

"Glad you like it."

"But don't avoid the subject. Come on; tell me something!"

"Fine. I guess… I've been wondering about… some things Ginza might have said."

"Ginza," Kagura echoed dully. "Captain Ginza?"

"Yeah, she's kind of a friend of mine… kinda." Saiga took his eyes from the fire and caught Kagura's stare. "What happened after she picked you up? How did you end up back in Suitengu's twisted grip?"

Kagura lost herself in her soup. "How close of a friend is she?"

"Only the kind of friend you use if you need something. Not very close at all."

"Captain Ginza…" She loosened her jaw. "Tricked me into coming with her. She had this news clip of my mother collapsing and—"

Saiga nearly dropped his bowl. "She kidnapped you?"

"When we started driving away, I didn't see you anywhere. She asked these questions about my relationship with you. She was so angry. But why?"

"She's paranoid maybe." He shifted uncomfortably. "And then she dropped you off at your house?"

"I ran in, expecting to see my mother ill, but she was fine—a-angry, but fine. I tried to get Ginza to help me, but she slapped me and told me you belonged to her. She had you in the trunk!"

"Not a very close friend," Saiga repeated. "I'm sorry you had the misfortune of dealing with her."

"Why is she paranoid? What is she paranoid of?"

"Losing me, probably. Ginza's controlling. She was good to have around because she tipped me off: I was always right where I needed to be to get a good scoop. I wouldn't be shocked if she started chasing us, too, though."

"She's terrifying." Kagura admitted.

"Don't worry." He grinned reassuringly. "You've dealt with much worse. What about Suitengu's men?"

"They were pretty scary. But up until a few weeks ago, I always thought that they were just his assistants, and I didn't have a reason to distrust Suitengu." She set her bowl at her feet.

Saiga noticed her discomfort. "Kagura, I swear to you I won't let him take you away again."

"I believe you."

. . .

Author's Note:

I realize that it is very corny now, but it does get better.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

These characters do not belong to me.

. . .

"…A fever and a headache. She's burning up, doc." Saiga mumbled, careful not to wake Kagura inside the car.

The doctor's sigh hissed over the phone. "I have a feeling that these symptoms aren't caused by the tumor—probably just post-trauma reactions."

"What do you think I should do?"

"She needs rest. Take her somewhere to unwind and relax, and don't push her to talk about what happened. The less time she spends thinking about her mother's death, the better. Give her plenty of fluids and over-the-counter pain-relievers."

"You're a life saver, Ryogoku. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Take care, Saiga. You could probably do with some rest, too, you know."

"Heh. I can agree with that."

Saiga flipped his cell phone closed and climbed back into the car, remembering too late to not slam the door. Kagura jumped.

"Good morning," she whispered.

He grimaced. "Sorry to wake you up. I called the doctor, and he recommended some pain-killers. Next town we come to we'll stop and get something, okay?"

She nodded weakly. "Thank you, Saiga."

He started the car and pulled it into drive. "He also suggested you relax someplace. I was thinking maybe we could head up to Futaba beach—far away from Tokyo."

"Really?" She sat up, grinning. "Oh, I would love that. I've never been to a beach before."

He chuckled. "I kinda figured. It's been awhile for me, too."

Kagura's spirits were lifted considerably, and she chattered eagerly about the things she'd always heard about people doing at beaches. A couple hours later, they stopped in a small town to get breakfast and some medication. Saiga watched over his shoulder, but Kagura seemed oblivious to any potential danger.

'Just as well,' Saiga thought. 'She doesn't need any more stress.'

He ushered her into the drugstore, and they picked around the shelves until they found the proper medication.

"There are so many kinds." He scratched the back of his head. "I usually just take a couple aspirin, but I don't know what works for you."

"We could ask someone." Kagura offered.

"I'd rather not talk to people if we can help it." He picked up a bottle and scanned the back. "Okay… Let's see… This one. What do you think?"

"Are you guessing?"

"I am."

Kagura read a few of the bottles' descriptions, chose one and handed it to Saiga. "This one."

"Right." He frowned. "I really have no idea what I'm doing."

"That makes two of us." She answered encouragingly.

After Saiga paid for the medicine, they studied the rest of the town.

"There's a little place over there." Kagura pointed.

"You wanna try it?"

She nodded.

There were only two other people inside: the waiter and a semi-driver, eating quietly and absorbed in a newspaper. Saiga ordered a couple cups of tea and sweet rice. He joined Kagura by the window, carrying the food. As usual, she ate with gusto.

"We'll drive till it gets dark, then we'll stop for the night. Hopefully we can find a hotel or something." He handed her a couple tablets from the pain-killer bottle. "Here."

She swallowed them.

"How's your fever today?"

"Fine."

"Like you'd tell me otherwise."

"I don't want you to worry."

"But that's what I'm supposed to do, Kagura."

She ducked her head, avoiding his stare. He exhaled slowly.

"I'm sorry for prying, but I have to help you get better. And to do that, I need to know what's going on."

"I understand."

They finished their rice in silence.

Saiga pushed a few stray pieces around his bowl. "So you'll need a bathing suit for the beach, huh?"


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

Like all my writing, the plot unfolds as I write. I have a general idea of where I want to end up, but the specific events are made clear as I wade through each adventure—one event leading to the next.

I had no idea how fast these segments ran together until I'd already exhausted myself over the first few chapters. By the time I realized I needed to slow down their relationship, I was too far ahead to want to go back and stretch it out further.

The result is something a bit more rushed than I would've liked; but hey, this is my guilty pleasure.

. . .

Kagura insisted on sweeping the entire supermarket to make sure they didn't miss anything. They each picked up a bathing suit, sunglasses and towels. She was especially excited about the sunglasses.

"You look like a movie star!" She grinned at Saiga and pointed to a mirror.

"You don't look too bad yourself."

Kagura blushed.

She pressed him to buy a big striped umbrella and forced him to buy a tube of sun block. Saiga didn't see the point of either of those things, but he couldn't refuse her wide, pleading eyes. In the magazine aisle, she put at least a dozen periodicals in the cart.

"Look at all this candy!" She exclaimed once they'd reached an entire aisle of gleaming, sugary confections.

Saiga glanced at his cart. "We do need some snacks. Candy probably isn't the best thing, though."

"Maybe just a couple bags?"

She also suggested they buy more Ramen for dinners in their hotel room. "It was our first meal together."

Once they wound their way to the hair-care aisle, Kagura turned from a selection of barrettes to talk to Saiga.

"What do you like to do for fun?"

He leaned into the cart. He never got enough groceries at once to need a cart; everything was completely backwards now.

"Uh… Fun."

"What did you use to do in your spare time?"

"I watched a lot of TV. I went to bars. I went for walks and smoked."

She blinked.

He laughed nervously. "I used to play cards at base during the war. Maybe we could try that."

Finally they finished their spree and headed towards the checkout. Kagura stared wide-eyed at all of the impulse items, and Saiga yawned through each refusal.

"What about this little feather pen?"

"No."

"Some gum?"

"We already have a huge bag."

She glanced across the aisle to the other rack and noticed a man staring at her hungrily. She whirled back the other way, then timidly peeked at him again. He continued to stare. Kagura slipped to Saiga's side and clutched his arm.

"What?" He asked, looking around for the cause of her uneasiness. He immediately found the peeper. "Hey!" Saiga bridged the gap between them and gripped the man's shirt collar. "Why don't you check out someone your own age, pervert? Get out of here!"

The man opened his mouth, gurgled, and turned on his heel to find another aisle. Saiga threw a few glares at the bewildered customers surrounding them.

"Thanks," Kagura whispered, grabbing Saiga's hand and squeezing it tightly.

His heart leapt uncontrollably.

'What kind of fucking nut-job am I turning out to be?' He wondered.

. . .

Saiga managed to get a deal on a hotel suite after booking the room for a week. He figured it would take awhile for Suitengu to get a grip after the wedding fiasco, and tracking them would be a little more difficult with their sporadic driving. Both of them needed a little break.

The suite included two bedrooms, a sofa set and TV, and a dining table with a small kitchenette. As much as Kagura was used to extravagance, she was thrilled by the tiny room, insisting it was like their own apartment. They unpacked their groceries and clothes and sat on the balcony to enjoy the view of the setting sun over the distant ocean.

"This is so perfect," Kagura sighed.

Saiga tried to ignore the pit in his stomach. "Yeah. It's pretty nice."

"How long are we staying here?"

"A week. Do you want to check out the beach tomorrow?"

"That sounds great!"

"Good. We have enough food to eat most of our meals in the room. The less exposure we have, the better. But it'll be nice to go the beach every once in awhile."

. . .

They spent the rest of the evening in front of the television, watching a documentary about African animals. Neither were very interested, but they were content not to have to think for once. Kagura buried her face in a magazine and glanced at the TV every once in awhile.

"What's in that thing?" Saiga asked, eyes unfocused in the direction of the TV.

"All kinds of stuff: what to wear, makeup, celebrities, how to get the perfect boyfriend."

"Heh."

"Apparently I've been wearing the wrong things my whole life."

"I wouldn't put too much stock into what those glamour queens say."

"These girls look very pretty, though."

"Hm. I'm a photographer. I know a fake when I see one." He took the magazine and flipped through it. "Most of this is doctored. They're not that spectacular, trust me."

"Do you think I'm pretty, Saiga?"

"Huh?" He whipped his head around to gape at her. "Of- of course you are."

"Thanks." She smiled.

He turned back to the TV. He tried to push away the memory of their first meeting. She had been stunning in that moment—eerie, but stunning.

"I think you're handsome."

Saiga jerked his attention back to her. "Huh?"

Kagura giggled.

"Um, thanks."

"It's your eyes. I've never seen such a blue."

He wished she would stop. Maybe if he just ignored her.

"Saiga? Did you hear me?"

"I think your judgment is skewed."

She laughed. "You're being awkward again."

"Seriously, how many men have you met to be able to judge?"

Kagura shrugged. "I do know that at least compared to these people." She shook her magazine. "You're very handsome."

A lion pounced on a small lioness on the television. Saiga scrambled to flip the channel.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

These characters do not belong to me. The vaguely established setting is Japan—which I've obviously never visited. Forgive me if I butcher actual locations.

. . .

Saiga paced his room anxiously. He thought about calling Bob a couple of times to check in, as Bob had begged him to, but Saiga knew he'd just end up talking about Kagura the whole time: a topic he hoped to avoid. His hand curled over his cell phone subconsciously. He stepped out on the balcony before dialing his number.

"Saiga! Oh, I'm glad you made it out okay! It's great to hear from you."

"We're staying in a suite a little north of Tokyo. I've got a friend who's a doctor who suggested we both take a little rest. Thanks a lot for the loan, Bob."

"It's no trouble. And you do need the rest, that's for sure."

"How's the home front?"

"Nothing's changed. You'd think the city would be topsy-turvy right now, but no one seems to care about anything."

"Eh," Saiga took a drag from a cigarette. "That's nothing new."

"So… Tell me why you really called."

Saiga sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"You want to talk about the girl."

"Just tell me what you told me before the wedding. Say it all again real slow and clear so it's seared into my brain."

"Saiga, you poor fool."

"I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, but this just might make the top. And she keeps saying these things and giving me these looks." He rubbed his forehead. "It's not helping."

"Maybe you should go out with someone your age."

"No, Bob. I—" He heard a tap on the glass behind him. Kagura was staring at him with a puzzled expression. "Jesus… I have to go. I'll call you back later." He pulled open the door. "Kagura! What are you still doing up?"

"I heard you leave your bedroom." She glanced at his phone. "Who—"

"Just Bob: he wanted me to check in."

She nodded.

"You should go back to bed." Saiga said.

"I can't sleep."

"You need your rest, Kagura."

"Are you tired?"

Saiga finished the last of his cigarette before crunching it in the ashtray. "No."

"Can I stay up with you?"

He sighed. "Only for a little bit, then you need to sleep."

"Okay."

They stood in their places, waiting for the other to make a move.

"Do you want to watch TV?" He suggested.

"There's nothing on."

"Oh… Well… Do you want to help me clean my camera?" He shook his head. "I'm not very exciting."

"Sure, we can do that."

. . .

Saiga took out a couple of his favorite cameras and lenses and spread them out on the table. Kagura watched with a grin on her face.

"What're you smiling about?" He asked as he uncapped a bottle of cleaner.

"This stuff is so fascinating. I wish I knew how they worked." She gingerly picked up the nearest camera and turned it over in her hands.

He resisted the urge to frame the shot with his fingers. What he would give to be able to take her picture: the perfect subject. "I could teach you," he replied without thinking.

She jerked her attention back to him. "Really?"

"Y-yeah. I mean, it's not that complicated. And since your shot won't explode when you take it, we could get it developed. Of course, we'll have to go to some one-hour place." He rolled his eyes. "Not the best, but it'll do."

"Do you miss…" she gestured towards the equipment, "taking pictures?"

"Every day, every minute." He wiped a lens free of scum.

"I'm sorry I took that from you." Kagura's face was solemn.

Saiga scowled. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. You were just Suitengu's puppet, okay? This is not your fault. Besides, if I hadn't been there that night, taken that photo, gotten that kiss then I never would've met you or been able to save you."

Kagura's fingers ceased twirling the exposure ring. "Kiss? You mean I—"

"I don't remember much." Saiga said hurriedly. "I was pretty stunned and terrified, so I didn't pay attention to—"

"To me kissing you?"

"Don't say it like that." He snapped. "It wasn't like that."

"It wasn't? So I didn't kiss you?"

He dropped the bottle of cleaner, and it splattered across the table. "Kagura." He shut his eyes. "It wasn't a kiss."

"Oh." She grabbed a towel from the kitchenette to wipe the table.

"I mean, there were tongue and lips involved but—"

"What?" Her hand flew to her mouth.

"Shit." Saiga cradled his forehead in his palm. "It's not like I fucking enjoyed it, okay? It hurt like hell having my DNA ripped apart!"

Kagura sat back down slowly. "Saiga, can we just forget we ever spoke of this?"

"Please."

. . .

Author's Note:

As if that wasn't awkward enough, it only gets more awkward.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

This is one of my favorite chapters. Enjoy!

I did not fabricate these characters.

. . .

Kagura came to breakfast dressed in her bathing suit. Saiga barely looked conscious.

"I'm really excited about today!" She poured herself and Saiga a bowl of cereal.

"I can tell."

Saiga noticed, grudgingly, how much she did not look like a child in a bikini. Her hair was swept up, exposing her frail neck and shoulders. He turned away.

"I hope I can get a tan." She held out her arms.

"I hope it isn't too crowded."

. . .

"Woah." Saiga whistled.

Kagura tightened her grip on his hand. "I didn't expect so many people."

The sea extended past the sand, throwing up brightly colored waves—umbrellas and beach towels, and the people swarmed underneath them like an erratic school of fish.

Saiga carried their umbrella over his shoulder, and Kagura tucked the towels under one arm. She clung to his hand.

"Damn." Saiga shifted his feet. "I forgot how hot the sand could get."

After crawling around bodies for five or ten minutes, they found a patch of bare sand recently vacated by another couple. Saiga threw the umbrella into the ground and opened the top. Kagura spread out the towels, then sat cross-legged on hers to survey the land.

"This is so much better than I expected!"

"We just got here." Saiga replied and sat next to her.

"It's like a live magazine. Look at all the pretty girls and boys."

"Yeah, I'm sure they're saying the same about us."

They laughed. Saiga pulled his sunglasses over his eyes, and Kagura watched him, smiling.

He furrowed his brow. "What?"

"You look different, that's all; but it's a good kind of different. You look good. Oh, I almost forgot the sunscreen." Kagura cried. She shifted in her tote, pulled out a tube and held it out to Saiga. "Come on. You need some, too."

"I don't really want any."

She squeezed some onto his shoulder. "I read this horrible article about skin cancer and UV rays. They said if you don't put any sunscreen on, then the sun will burn your skin, and your skin will bubble up and get diseased later in life."

"They say all kinds of things," Saiga muttered as he rubbed lotion on his nose, "that I just can't swallow. I have a feeling I shouldn't have bought you those magazines."

"Oh, no. I've learned a lot since I read them."

"Hmph."

. . .

The heat lulled them both into sleep, stretched out on beach towels, elbows touching. Kagura napped deep enough not to notice the cat calls as boys walked by or the girls jealously noting her slim figure. Saiga drifted in and out of sleep, waking to turn his head and check on Kagura and forcing himself to count the number of stripes on the umbrella above his head rather than focus on the warmth from Kagura's body. Eventually she woke up, and Saiga decided to introduce her to people-watching.

"Isn't it rude to stare?" Kagura asked quietly.

"Out here they put themselves on display. You've got nothing to feel guilty about." Saiga studied a group of boys flexing their muscles. He glanced at Kagura. "See anything interesting?"

"There's a weird bird over there eating crackers out of a little girl's hand."

He chuckled. "I kind of meant the teenage boy scene."

"Huh?"

"Kagura, you can't tell me you're not checking out anyone."

"Checking out?"

He gaped. "You know… When you see someone attractive far away, and you… I don't know. You just check them out."

"Oh."

"So are you?"

"No, not really. Are you?"

"No, I… Nobody makes me… I'm not, no." He regretted asking.

Kagura laughed softly. "Saiga, you're so strange."

A tall, curvy blond walked in front of them. Kagura elbowed Saiga in the side.

"What about her?"

He snorted. "What_ about_ her?"

"Do you think she's attractive?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I'm curious. You never talk much about your tastes, and I just want to know."

"She's not my type."

"Well, what is your type, then?"

"Too young." He coughed. "I don't know. Tell me about what you like."

"I've never met anyone my age before, so I'm not sure. I guess I would want him to be something like you."

He jerked his head away ignored her comment. "There's an ice cream stand over there. Do you want some?"

"That sounds good."

He practically ran to the stand and bought two cones. They were already dripping over his hands when he got back to Kagura. She took hers gratefully.

"Mmm." She nibbled the top. "This is awesome."

Saiga lost his appetite. He stared out onto the horizon, letting his ice cream slowly melt, coating his fingers in a sticky mess.

'What am I doing? What is she doing? Does she have any idea how I feel and how uncomfortable she's making me feel? She should stop asking questions. I should act more like a father.' Saiga argued with himself, trying to let reason speak its piece and leave his twisted desires out of the picture.

"Saiga? Saiga…" Kagura waved empty fingers in front of his face. "Your ice cream is almost gone, and you haven't eaten a bite. Is something wrong?" She took his wrist and pulled it further into her view. "You're going to have to wash this off."

"Maybe it's time to get in the water." Saiga's sugar cone disappeared in a three bites.

. . .

The cool water contrasted luxuriously with their warm skin. They stood a few feet apart, letting the waves rush to their toes; with every lap, Kagura tiptoed further into the surf, and she giggled as the waves tickled her knees. Saiga pretended to be interested in a flock of birds floating overhead. As he held up his fingers to frame a shot, a cold splash slapped his side, and he looked around wildly for the source.

Kagura was inspecting a seashell—innocent.

Saiga narrowed his eyes but turned back to his shot. Again, as expected, he was sprayed with ocean water: he whirled just in time to catch Kagura scooping her hands full of water to throw at him. They froze momentarily.

"Aha," Saiga whispered.

She screamed as he lunged for her. "Saiga!" She laughed.

He picked her up by her waist and held her up out of the water. "You're gonna get it now!"

Carrying a squealing Kagura over his shoulders, he dragged himself deeper until the water was above his navel, then he took her from his shoulders and let her sink on her own feet in the water.

She was still snickering as he slapped the water with his open palm, sending a flare of spray in her direction. As he drew back his hand again, she caught it and laced her fingers through it. Saiga joined her laughter.

"This is so much fun." Kagura exclaimed.

"Yeah…" Saiga subconsciously pushed her bangs from her forehead. He drew back his hand, appalled at his brashness. "Yeah, it's fun."

She reached up and slicked his hair from his eyes. He grabbed her wrist and held it away, but his smile didn't waver. He shook his head slowly.

Kagura frowned. "What?"

Saiga only shook his head. "Come on; let's go sit on the shore."

With a confused expression on her face, she followed him back to the beach. She'd never understand him.

. . .

After another round of sunscreen and ice cream—which Saiga actually ate—they sprawled out on the beach towels and watched the sun wink at them through the mesh of the umbrella.

"Saiga…" Kagura's thoughts drifted, and she settled back into silence.

"I'm old." He said abruptly.

"What? Old?"

"So old."

She sat up to look at him. "You don't look old to me, Saiga."

He raised his sunglasses. "And you're very young."

"Do I look young to you?"

Saiga lowered his glasses. "No. But you are young."

"I don't understand where you're going with this, anyway. The only way you're old in my eyes is when you worry."

"Hmph."

"Are you just being awkward again?"

"Maybe. Just keep that in mind, okay? I'm old."

. . .

As the sun began to set, most of the other beach occupants packed up and left, leaving behind broken and breaking sandcastles and thousands of footprints. Kagura and Saiga didn't make a move to leave. After they woke up from another nap, they took a walk at the water's edge so she could find some shells to take back to the hotel.

"Look," Kagura breathed. She took Saiga's hand and turned it palm-up. A tiny starfish crawled from her hand into his. She grinned up at him. "It's still alive!"

He turned it upside down to show her its hundreds of squirming legs. "You should put it back in the water."

She picked it up gingerly and set it down as a wave rushed over the smooth sand. Saiga smiled in spite of himself.

Kagura returned to his side and muttered, "Isn't it a nice thought that even after all the trouble it's had today, that little starfish is free now? It can go home and be happy for the rest of its life."

Her hand brushed against his, and Saiga squeezed her fingers. "It's a nice thought."

. . .

The sun tucked itself into the ocean. The beach was vacant save for the pair of runaways. Kagura had a selection of shells spilled across the towel in front of her, and she arranged them in groups. Saiga watched her while he spun a lens on his camera.

"Kagura," he said softly. "I want to try something."

She glanced at his camera. "Okay."

He led her to the water and put the camera in her hands, stepping behind her and leaning over her shoulder to adjust the focus and exposure. Her finger gripped the shutter button. He wrapped his hands carefully over hers.

"Are you scared?" He asked.

"I trust you."

With one final check to make sure it was focused on the water, Saiga squeezed Kagura's hand, and she took the picture. They held their breath.

The camera clicked. The water remained unchanged.

Kagura gasped. "Saiga…"

He embraced her in disbelief. He'd taken the first picture since he'd been in that cursed club. "Kagura," he murmured. Shutting his eyes tightly, he kissed the back of her head. She sank further in his arms.

The world spun backwards on its axel.

. . .

Author's Note:

It's a nice thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

These characters belong to Gonzo.

. . .

"So by now you've confessed your deep love for her and slept with her, right?"

"Bob, if that's all you called to say—"

"I wish, Saiga. That crazy police chick has been all over your apartment today. She stopped by my place and asked if I knew anything about you, but I told her I'd never talked to you before."

"Ginza." Saiga sighed. "Stay as far away from her as you can, Bob."

"Well, now that my news is over, update me, love muffin. What about the girl?"

Saiga tossed a couple packs of cigarettes and a bottle of alcohol onto the store counter. "I can't do it, Bob."

"What are you doing? Are you in a store?"

"I'm getting a drink, maybe that'll calm me down."

"Where's the girl?!"

"She's waiting in the car. I told her I needed a couple things."

"I take it things aren't going well."

"No…" Saiga paid the cashier and gathered the paper-wrapped groceries into his arms. "It's going…. Damn it, Bob. I don't want to talk about this."

"Things are going that well, huh?"  
"Look, why don't you just talk to her and tell her how disgusting I am and all. Besides, she wants to talk to you." Saiga opened up the car door and handed Kagura the phone. "It's Bob."

"Hi, Bob!" Kagura cried. "Yes, it's been perfect. Uh huh. Oh… Yeah," she giggled. "He does. He won't admit it, but he does. Haha."

Saiga glared. "What's he saying?"

Kagura shook her head. "Uh huh. Okay. Heh heh. Love you, too, Bob!" She flipped the phone closed and handed it back to Saiga. "He said to give you his love. So what'd you get from the store?"

"Oh, uh… Just some cigarettes." He studied her expression. "What did he say to you?"

The cretin was poised on the floor, ready to accept the Goddess' gift. Drool hung in strings from his grisly mouth, and his breath came in heavy, rasping laughter. Kagura was terrified of him. She stepped forward against her will, wrestling her white-heeled boots with every step. Suddenly his mask was stripped away, and the monster disappeared—leaving Saiga in his place. Kagura's body stopped moving, and she found herself able to move freely, but she continued forward. Saiga looked dazed, enraptured by the unfolding scene in front of him and petrified at the same time. She knelt and tipped his chin towards her. The fear melted from his features. Slowly she dipped her head. His eyes gradually shut.

Kagura sat up abruptly. She panted as reality rushed to attack her senses. She smelled cigarette smoke, heard a TV chattering, saw the dim light flashing under her door, felt her hands touch her lips. Had that really been what happened? Guiltily, she wished she could remember just that one moment.

She crept out of her bed and tiptoed towards the door. The TV was turned down low, which met Saiga was either asleep or not actually watching. She cracked open her door to peer out.

He was slouched on the couch, sipping from a glass and flicking ash from his cigarette onto a tray perched on his knee. Kagura shut her door, gathered her courage and parted the door slightly again. She waited so long that when she shut her eyes, she could see his form in negative colors on her eyelids.

"I can see you, you know." He said gruffly.

Ashamed, she stepped out into the light and waited for him to further address her. He said nothing, only sipped more of his glass and stared at the TV. Kagura sat on the edge of the couch.

"Saiga, I was wondering if you could tell me more about the night we met."

He leaned his head against the wall.

She glanced at the bottle on the table. "Is that juice?"

"It's rum."

"Rum?" She wrinkled her nose. It had a terrible smell. "What are you watching?"

Saiga rolled his neck to look at her. His eyes seemed heavy. "Why do you want to know about that night?"

"I had this dream." She tugged her hair nervously. "I've had it before: there's a scary man with braces and slobber and… he wants me to kiss him. I always wake up before I do, though. But tonight. . . " She faltered. "He took off his mask, and it was you sitting there."

Saiga turned back to the TV.

His cell phone, lying on top of her magazines on the coffee table, lit up and began vibrating. Kagura leaned forward to read the name of the caller: Ginza. She shrank back.

"Are you going to answer that?"

"She's been calling all night. I don't want to pick it up."

"Saiga, I know I said I didn't want to hear it, but—" Ginza called again. "I do now."

"I'll be honest, Kagura: I'm a little drunk."

Her eyes widened.

"I don't want to say something I'll regret in the morning," he explained. "I'll tell you what happened; but if I say something out of line, you'll have to forgive me."

He had always seemed so strong to her. Ginza's number buzzed through his cell. Now, all of a sudden, he was just as fragile and vulnerable as she was. Kagura was curious to know what kinds of things he would say that he would regret, but she tried to forget that particular fascination.

She took a shallow breath. "Go for it."

He flicked the TV off and stood, moving to the dining table. She followed him and sat catty-corner from him, examining his exhausted face as she reached above her to turn on the light. A cigarette dripped from his lips. He took a few puffs, exhaling curls of translucent smoke.

"I used to work for a newspaper. Bum assignments: political figures, prostitution busts, new store openings. That kind of crap. My boss gave me a new project—something he knew I could handle and would enjoy." Saiga took a small swig of rum, then, noticing Kagura's grimace, capped the bottle and set it away. "He gave me a small snapshot of Suitengu, telling me he was head of a secret club. I was to get into the club for the scoop: who was in it, what was the object. I had a feeling I knew one of the senators involved, so I trailed him.

"We ended up in a parking garage. He put on some mask and a cape, so I jacked those from him and tied him up. The other club members were assembling in front of this train track. There was a huge silver train."

He paused to light another cigarette, and he wished Kagura wasn't watching him so intently. "The club members were scanned in, and I got in easily. The club… I'd never seen anything so disgusting in all my life. Higher-ups getting all they couldn't get in the public eye, lapping up every demented thing their fucking money could buy them.

"I finally found Suitengu, and I followed him to an open chamber. A lot of other members were standing there, waiting. Suitengu and his goons came out onto a balcony and spouted some bullshit about the Goddess. Then she—you—came from the ceiling." His face darkened, and he didn't continue speaking until he had finished the entire cigarette and started on the next.

Kagura ached to interrupt him and ask questions, but she held her tongue.

"I raised my camera and took the last picture and probably the best picture I've ever taken. I wish you could've seen it." He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. "The guards grabbed me and held me on the alter. They ripped off my mask. You leaned down and kissed me. I have a feeling you weren't supposed to because Suitengu started screaming orders, or maybe it was someone else. Hell, I don't know. The rest is a blur. All I remember is that I got cut up pretty bad by the guards; and the next thing I know, I've got this bloody girl in my arms, running blindly through some halls."

"Do you regret it?" Kagura whispered.

"No." He stared her in the eyes. "I'll never regret meeting you, Kagura."

He allowed her to squeeze his hand for the next few minutes while silent tears slid down his cheeks, then he shuffled to his feet and sat on the couch, slouching in the same manner as Kagura had found him. She sat next to him and began to cry as well.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and they fell asleep there, weeping together and grateful for each others' presence.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

I love writing Ginza. She's so much fun!

These characters belong to Gonzo.

. . .

Saiga heard his cell phone beating tattoos against the glossed pages of a magazine. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the sound and the pounding headache he had. Something soft brushed his chin.

"Jesus Christ," he groaned. He shifted underneath Kagura, trying to lean her on the arm of the couch while he reached for his phone. "Fucking nut-job… H-Hello?"

"What the hell, Saiga." Ginza's voice made his headache worse. "I've been calling you all night."

His thumb rubbed his puffy eyelids. "I was busy."

"What were you doing? Screwing that little bitch?"

"What do you want?"

"I want you zipped up in a fucking body bag is what I want. Get your ass back here and stop crawling away from me like a spineless worm."

"Did you wake me up just to make idle threats?"

"Wake you up? It's eleven in the morning!" She exclaimed.

"I have a hangover."

"You're gonna wish you had just a hangover when I'm through with you."

"You have three seconds to make your point before I hang up."

She sighed. "Listen, lay off that fucking camera, okay? You'll go blind. Do you understand what that means?"

"Take care, Ginza."

"Saiga! You son of a—"

He tossed the phone back onto the coffee table. He could feel parts of Kagura's body pressing against him, and he didn't want to investigate it further. Saiga detangled himself and jumped in the shower, double checking the lock on the door before he got in the tub.

Inevitably, he thought about their conversation the night before, and he guessed it could've been worse. She could've asked him what his deal was at the beach. What the hell were they supposed to do today? Lay on the couch swapping good-feelie stories?

. . .

Kagura didn't say much in the car. Saiga had expected to be bombarded with a hoard of questions about the previous night or his tight-lipped manner this morning or even something simple like, "Where are we going?" She remained silent.

Saiga took a deep breath. "So… You still want me to teach you photography?"

Kagura looked at him. "Yes."

He nodded. "I thought maybe I'd take you out and teach you how to work a camera."

She observed him carefully. "You're not smoking."

"No."

"You must be relaxed."

"Why do you say that?"

"When you're nervous or upset you smoke a lot; and when you're content, you don't smoke at all."

He shook his head, smiling. "You're something else."

Kagura studied his knuckles on the steering wheel for a few moments. "Are you wearing cologne?"

His cheeks flushed. "I've smelled like a pig for awhile, so I thought maybe I'd clean up a little bit."

She grinned slyly and leaned towards him. "You smell good," she muttered.

Saiga could not deny himself the shiver that went up his spine.

. . .

"And then pull this to get ready for the next shot." Saiga pointed.

Kagura held the camera aloft, pressing it to her cheek.

"Focus with this ring here." He placed her fingers on the correct component. "Once it isn't blurry anymore—"

The camera clicked.

She smiled. "This camera is nice. It's kind of heavy, but it feels…"

"Natural." Saiga finished breathlessly. "It was my first camera when I started out."

"Really?" She focused on something over his shoulder and took another shot. "You kept it all this time?"

"I keep them all." He rubbed a speck from his telephoto lens. He heard another click.

Kagura grinned.

He smiled faintly and gazed around them. He took her to a little park outside the main part of the city. There wasn't much to it: just some trees, a few picnic tables and a playground. But it was nice to be under the shade and out of the apartment. They were tucked under a tree in the grass. Saiga stared at the dappled canopy above their heads.

"Get a shot of that," he commented, gesturing to the leaves.

. . .

She finished the entire roll, and Saiga took her to a dinky one-hour photo place. He scowled the entire time they were there, much preferring to develop his own film.

"It's all I can do for you now, though." He shrugged.

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

They climbed back into the car. "I figured we'd go eat lunch and then go pick up the photos." He stole a fleeting look at her gazing out the window. The lighting was perfect. His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry if I upset you last night."

"Upset me?" She shook her head. "I got all the answers I was looking for. Thank you for telling me. I know it was painful for you to relive."

"I'm sure it was painful to hear it, too."

"But… I know this is selfish, but I'm glad… that you were there that night. I'm glad I got to meet you." She beamed.

. . .

A man in a crisp white uniform greeted them at the door to the restaurant and bowed. They did the same.

"Welcome. Sir, may I seat you and your…"

"Girlfriend." Kagura answered suddenly.

Saiga froze.

"Your girlfriend," the waiter repeated. "This way, please."

Saiga followed him stiffly, desperately wanting to drop Kagura's hand but refusing to quit the alias she chose for them. The waiter led them to a quiet table in the corner. Kagura sat on the floor, and Saiga waited until she was settled before he took a seat opposite her. The waiter bobbed his head again and left them.

Saiga stared at Kagura with a bewildered expression.

"Well…" She rolled her shoulders. "You never correct people when they call me that, so I thought that was the disguise you were sticking with."

"It just makes me kind of uncomfortable," Saiga choked out.

Kagura looked away. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you."

"You didn't embarrass me," Saiga explained hurriedly. "Not at all. I'd be honored if… But it makes me… I'm not embarrassed."

"I don't understand." She tilted her head. "Isn't it the same thing?"

"No. No, I'm uncomfortable with thinking of you as my girlfriend—"

"It's just a disguise, Saiga." She blushed. "It's not real."

He closed his eyes. 'Why do I always make such a damn fool of myself around her?' "But I would not be embarrassed in the slightest bit."

"That's kind of you to say, but it's not necessary."

"No, I—"

A waitress brought them a steaming pot of tea and some biscuits.

"For the record," Kagura mumbled, picking up a cup, "you wouldn't embarrass me, either."

They nibbled on their biscuits for awhile.

"Please say something so I don't feel so stupid." Saiga laughed uneasily.

She sighed teasingly. "You tend to make such a big deal about everything."

"You know," he chuckled. "Most people will tell you I'm pretty cool. I don't get nervous or upset. In fact, I only do that stuff when I'm around you."

"So I give you nervous impulses." She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Great."

"It's not that." He smiled into his tea. "I've never cared about anything until I met you. I want things to go smoothly and safely, and… On a personal note, I think I feel… that you could do a lot better than me."

She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not the greatest guy in the world, and you deserve a lot better caretaker than me."

"Saiga, do me a favor, please."

He swallowed. "Sure."

"Don't ever say that again."

. . .

Saiga's expression grew more and more severe as he thumbed through the pile of photographs. Kagura grew impatient.

"Are they any good?"

"Kagura, I've never seen anything so good from a rookie."

She wriggled in the car seat. "Let me see."

He handed her the stack. "I didn't even cover composition, but all the shots are set up perfectly."

She held one delicately between her fingers. "This one is my favorite."

It was a shot of Saiga looking off in the distance. His brow was wrinkled in thought, but he didn't seem duly concerned about anything—for once.

"It's very handsome." Kagura said.

. . .

Kagura was working her way through another roll in the hotel room that night, and Saiga tried to pretend that he wasn't interested. Truth was, he wanted to lean over her shoulder and look at every shot, but her subject happened to be Saiga, so he stayed on the couch so she could work. He studied her developed photos carefully, jotting notes on a notepad for her to read later. The pictures were good, though.

She handed the camera to him, grinning. "Take some with me—like before on the beach."

He didn't think twice. Again, he wrapped his hand around hers and peered into the camera. He had a feeling this would warrant more rum tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

Huzzah for sleep and dream sequences! Huzzah!

The following characters belong to Gonzo.

. . .

Saiga attempted to teach her poker; but he was a horrible card teacher, and she'd never been around cards in her entire life.

"I guess poker's not the best start," he said.

Kagura watched him shuffle the cards. "I have an idea that I've wanted to try." She flipped through a couple magazines and showed him a section with men's hairstyles.

He laughed. "Um… Kagura…"

"Come on." She grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the couch, sitting him on the floor in front of it. "I'll be right back. Go ahead and watch TV or something."

He stared after her as she ran into her room. His hand reached for the remote absently, and he stared at the lighted buttons, trying to clear his thoughts and overlook his increasingly irritating desires, making his throat and chest tighten. Kagura raced back into the room and jumped onto the couch behind him. She fitted her legs behind his shoulders and began tugging a wet comb through his hair.

"Sorry if I hurt you," she giggled.

He stayed quiet so he could focus on the sensation her fingers made on his scalp. Somehow, she had managed to smuggle mousse into the cart at the store, and she rubbed that into his hair, pulling his damp hair up in clumps. He chuckled to himself.

She sighed. "Saiga, this has been one of the best days of my life."

Saiga shut his eyes. "Are you happy, Kagura?"

"I've never been happier," she answered dreamily. "Are you happy, Saiga?"

"I'm home, I think." He said so softly she could barely hear him.

. . .

Around one o'clock that morning, Kagura's fist rapped on his bedroom door.

"Kagura?" He wondered aloud. He struggled out of his sheets. Clawing at his eyes, he jerked open the door. "Something wrong?"

"Do you think I could sleep in your room?"

He sighed heavily. "You're just across the hall, Kagura. Go back to bed."

Her palm caught the door as he tried to close it. "Just this one night?" She begged.

"No, Kagura." He said firmly and closed his door once more, cursing under his breath that it didn't have a lock.

. . .

Kagura huffed and went back to her room, hanging her feet off the bed. She hated being away from him, even if for a single night. The clock challenged her to a staring contest, and they faced off while she tried to remember the way he looked at her as he shut the door. She reached for the pictures she'd taken, tracing his jaw line in her favorite shots.

Holding her breath and willing her feet to be absolutely silent, she crept out of bed and eased his door open. She waited for him to protest. His breathing was deep and heavy in sleep. Kagura snuck to the side of bed and gingerly lowered herself into it, staring at the back of his head and half expecting him to turn at any moment. He didn't notice as she laid her head on a pillow, wrapped the comforter around her, turned her back to him. She grinned triumphantly.

It wasn't long before her eyelids began to droop. She stiffened as Saiga groaned and rolled over onto his other side. Without warning, he tucked his arm around her stomach and nuzzled his face in the back of her neck. She stifled a surprised cry.

With a delicate and cautious touch, she rested her fingers on his arm; when he didn't wake, she half-smiled and shut her eyes again.

. . .

Saiga dreamt vividly of Ginza. He wasn't paying attention to her, trying to develop photos in his dark room, but she wouldn't leave him alone. She flipped the bright lights on, ruining the photos he was processing. He snarled, whirling on her telling her to get out. She reached behind her to loosen her bodice. As she rotated around, she dropped her top on the floor.

Saiga wasn't interested. Just before he could turn back to his photos, Ginza faced him; but it was Kagura's face he saw instead. She walked towards him slowly, arms folded across her chest. Saiga shook his head and backed away, but she continued to advance on him, grin widening as she drew closer.

. . .

Kagura's eyes flew open as Saiga stirred behind her. She knew he was still asleep, but he must have been dreaming because his arm flexed and he began to mumble incoherently. He drew his arm behind her and rubbed her back gently.

"Saiga?" She whispered.

His fingers traced clumsy paths around her, resting on her ribcage. "No…I can't," he mumbled.

She wriggled. "Saiga…"

He continued to caress her softly, and his legs shifted underneath the sheets.

"Saiga," Kagura said aloud.

Jerking awake, he bolted upright in his bed and pushed himself away from her, rolling her out of bed in the process.

"Fuck!" He shouted. "What the hell are you doing, Kagura?"

"What were _you _doing?" She pulled herself to her feet and wrapped her arms around her torso.

"I was fucking dreaming, damn it!"

"About _what_?"

"You shouldn't even be in here! Why are you in my bed? I told you to go back to your room, Kagura!"

"I didn't want to be away from you!" She cried.

"I'm across the god-damned hall." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"It's not the same." Her chin dropped to her chest.

"So, what? You'd rather be curled up in here, with me fondling you in my sleep? God damn it, Kagura."

"Saiga, I—"

"No, no excuses." He seized her wrist and dragged her to her bedroom. He put a heavy hand on her shoulder. "This is your room, okay? You stay in here and stay the fuck out of my bedroom!"

He locked himself in the bathroom and fell asleep in the empty tub with his bottle of rum tucked in the crook of his arm, thinking of things he should and should not do: actions that made his limbs ache. He shook his head slowly. 'The saddest part is that I was actually enjoying that dream,' he thought as he drifted off into a drunken slumber.

. . .

Kagura knocked on the door the next morning, timidly at first then increasingly louder.

"Saiga, Bob's on the phone. He wants to talk to you."

He almost fell trying to peel himself from the tub. His back felt crooked. He staggered out of the bathroom and snatched the phone from Kagura's hand, heading for the balcony and not giving her a second glance.

"Morning," Saiga said into the receiver. He shut the door forcefully.

Bob clucked his tongue. "Kagura told me what happened last night."

"Jesus." His forehead landed in his palm. "Did she call you?"

"No, I called, but she answered the phone. I asked her if I could speak to 'that sexy beast, Saiga,' and the poor girl started bawling!"

"Poor girl? Bob, I woke up and… Look, I don't want to talk about this. I feel like some kind of monster."

"But why? You were just dreaming!"

"Yeah, about her! This is driving me insane. I shouldn't feel this way: she's just a child."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"She's fifteen, Bob."

"I asked her how she felt about the whole thing, and she said—"

"I don't want to know."

"But—"

"I don't want to fucking know, Bob."

"Fine, fine. She is really upset, though, Saiga. You need to talk with her."

"What am I going to say?"

"Hell, I don't know. Tell her you liked it."

"Bob!"

"Or tell her that you're an adult and she's a 'child.' Tell her that things happen differently for you, and she needs to be more mature to understand. And Saiga..."

"Yes?"

"You might want to apologize for screaming at her. Poor girl."

Saiga had no idea there was a clock in the room that made noise, but sure enough, as they sat across from each other at the table, there was a clock ticking the seconds away. He hadn't said a single word to her. A few tears leaked from her eyes, but now she was stoic, staring at the table.

An entire hour passed this way. Finally, Kagura pushed herself up from the table and stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Saiga gaped after her, mouth ajar.

"Hey!" He shouted at her door. "I was going to talk to you."

She swung open the door and glared at him. "So talk."

"I'm…I'm sorry."

Kagura lowered her eyes and shuffled back to the table. "I'm sorry, too," she muttered. "I should've stayed in my room."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"I don't think it was as big of a deal as you made it out to be."

"You don't know the dream I was having." Saiga said, instantly regretting his choice of words.

Kagura blushed. "Do I want to know?"

He shook his head fiercely. "Forget it. But what was so important about sleeping in my room anyway?"

"I don't like being away from you—even for a short amount of time."

"Well, that's not going to work. You have to sleep in your own bedroom."

"Okay," she replied meekly.

He drummed his fingers on the table, then stood and held his arms open. Kagura jumped to her feet and, smiling, squeezed his chest.

"I don't like it when you're angry with me," she admitted.

"I'll try to keep my temper." He patted her back awkwardly.

. . .

Author's Note:

Saiga love!


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

I'm really, really proud of this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The following characters belong to Gonzo.

. . .

Wanting to get some fresh air, Kagura suggested they go do some window-shopping; at least, that's what she called it. Saiga discovered she really meant hauling him into stores and batting her lashes at him enough until he bought things for her. There wasn't much she wanted: mainly things for Saiga.

To her delight, they found a small perfume store.

"You want perfume?" Saiga asked, mentally calculating how much it was going to cost him.

"No, this is for you!" She beamed. "You smelled so good last time, so I'm curious what other kinds of stuff you could wear."

He scratched his jaw. "Um, Kagura…"

She picked up a dark blue bottle. "Mmm! This is good. Smell it!"

He whiffed it and shook his head. This process was repeated several times until he finally gave in and bought the least expensive one. Kagura was elated.

"Can you wear this all the time? It's so perfect."

"Yeah, sure."

She pulled him outside and unwrapped the cologne. "Here."

He sighed and raised the bottle to his neck.

And then he saw him.

Tsujido had his black-capped nose to the air, getting closer and closer to his targets. He froze in the street and stared dead at them. Saiga instantly reached for his camera, and Tsujido reached into his shirt for his shoulder holster. Kagura clutched Saiga's arm and buried her face in his coat.

A crowd of people began to filter around them. Tsujido pushed through them, snarling. One of the tourists in the crowd snapped a picture, and the flash gave Saiga an idea.

"Hey, everyone!" He screamed. "Isn't that Suitengu's assistant in the blue suit? I bet he's loaded with cash!"

"Grab him!" Kagura joined.

"No!" Tsujido exclaimed. "Get off me!"

As the people swarmed around him, Saiga grasped Kagura's hand and bolted down the sidewalk.

"Saiga!" She cried. "How did they find us so quickly?"

He ducked into a corner supermarket and pulled her to the back so they could catch their breath. He looked around him wildly.

"How do you hide from a guy who can smell you?" He questioned. In his fist, he still clutched the cologne. "Wait! That's it!"

Saiga tugged Kagura through the store, stopped in front of a shelf and gave her a big tub of bleach. He took three for himself and fished a bill from his pocket. He shoved it at the cashier and shouted over his shoulder, "Keep it!"

. . .

Tsujido yanked his gun from his holster and fired a round into the air. "Get back!"

The people scattered, screaming. He waved the gun around the circle, making sure they didn't come back. Dialing his cell phone, he took off after Kagura's scent.

"Search the stores on Main Street. He's around here somewhere, but there are too many smells for me to pinpoint his location." Tsujido ordered Makabe.

He stalked the street, creeping into the back alley where the scent was the strongest. He rounded a corner and found Kagura with her back to him, camera in hand. Swinging the gun to the rooftops and behind him, he searched for a trap.

"Goddess," Tsujido called. "It's time to come home."

Kagura looked over her shoulder and watched, terrified, as Tsujido walked towards her with his gun pointed at her toes.

"Where's that slum photographer friend of yours, Goddess?"

She scampered to the shadows at her left.

"Damn it!" He ran after her. A splash of bleach slapped him in the face as he came around the building. He reeled—blinded by the pungent cleaner and darkness of the alley. "Goddess…" he sputtered. "Come out, and I'll let Saiga go free. We won't even bother looking for him. I promise."

Another wave of bleach hit him. He cried out in pain. His nose was next to useless now. A towel flew from the darkness and blanketed his head. Before he could yank it off, Saiga pounced on him, wrenching his arm behind his back and forcing him to drop his gun. Saiga deftly wound a cord around his wrists.

Kagura watched in horror as he slammed Tsujido against the car. It had only been a few paces away from the supermarket, and they drove it into the alley behind the shop, waiting for Tsujido to come looking for them.

Saiga searched his pockets and took another gun, knife and cell phone; then, tucking the bleach-soaked towel into Tsujido's collar to make sure it didn't come off his head, he pushed him into the back of the car.

"Let's go," Saiga growled at Kagura.

. . .

Tsujido finally twisted around enough in the back of the car that the towel slipped from his head. Kagura watched him fearfully. He glared back.

"Where are you taking me?" He kicked the back of Saiga's seat.

Saiga ignored him.

A clipped, electronic chirp sounded from Tsujido's cell. Saiga glanced in the rearview mirror at his captive. He pulled off the road and flipped open the phone, holding it to Tsujido's face.

"Say 'hello.'" Saiga held his camera to his eye. "Or I'll blow your fucking arm off."

"Hello," Tsujido mumbled grudgingly.

Saiga pressed the phone to his ear.

"Boss, we searched the entire street. He ain't nowhere near here. He's probably long gone."

Saiga held the phone in front of Tsujido. "Say 'keep searching and don't leave the street until I tell you to.'"

Tsujido seethed. "Keep searching and don't leave the street until I tell you to."

Saiga flipped the cell closed and pulled the car back into the lane.

Kagura shuddered. "Where_ are_ we taking him, Saiga?"

He reached for her hand and squeezed it once.

. . .

Saiga pulled off the road when they came to a patch of forest. He parked the car and dragged Tsujido out of the back. Kagura followed him timidly as he hauled Tsujido back into the woods and propped him against a tree, pointing his own gun at his forehead.

Kagura gasped.

"Goddess…" Tsujido crooned. "Fear doesn't suit you."

Saiga kicked him savagely. "Her name is Kagura, asshole."

"I know guys like you, photographer." He snarled. "You're just like us—same desires, same fears. You just have a different way of fulfilling your fantasies."

"That's a lie! I am nothing like you." Saiga countered.

"You're pathetic. Did you know sweat glands serve different purposes? You don't sweat out of all your pores at once. They're very specific, and they produce very different smells. Pores for heat, for anxiety, for sex, for desire. I know what you sweat for, Saiga. I know you—"

Saiga kicked him again. Tsujido gave a wheezy chuckle.

"Shut up! Why are you still following us? What could you possibly want with her now?"

"Mr. Suitengu is only concerned for his bride." He flashed a toothy grin at Kagura. "And he's anxious to have his honey moon, unless, of course, you've already robbed him of that, too."

"I swear to God I'll shoot your arm off if you get out of line one more time."

"You're killing her, you know." Tsujido leaned forward.

Saiga's poised arm dropped slowly to his side.

"We have a cure for her condition. We only have a few assignments left for her, and then we'll cure her. But with you taking off with her, we can't do that, can we?"

"He's lying!" Kagura exclaimed. "Why would they have a cure? They would just kill me when they're done with me."

"What a waste," Tsujido said.

"What about my mother?" Kagura sobbed. "You used her and killed her! Saiga, don't believe him, please."

"I don't." He muttered.

"Then you're a fool. The farther you take her away from Tokyo, the farther away she is from getting a cure, and the faster you'll kill her."

Saiga raised the gun to Tsujido's forehead again. "That's enough. I'm done with you unless you have something useful to say."

"Wait!" Kagura grabbed Saiga's arm. "Don't kill him."

"He deserves to die."

"How can you be the judge of that? How can anyone be the judge of that?" Her eyes brimmed with tears.

Tsujido began laughing again. "You perverted fool! You _are_ just as bad as we are! I can practically—"

Saiga kicked him hard enough to knock him unconscious.

. . .

When Tsujido awoke, he was trapped in a dark, stuffy metal box. He heard what sounded like a diesel engine and smelled exhaust fumes. As best as he could, he pounded on the walls.

An hour later, he heard the bus stop, and he kicked the walls until the bewildered driver opened the hatch.

"What the hell?"

Tsujido rolled out of the bus compartment, shielding his eyes from the sun.

. . .

Kagura didn't speak the entire way back to the hotel. They packed their luggage as quickly as they could, checked out early and jumped on the highway. Finally, after Saiga urged her to eat some of the chips they had in the hotel room, she opened her mouth.

"I'm glad you didn't kill him."

Saiga flicked ash from his cigarette. "I don't get your issue, but if it makes you feel better—"

"Much better."

He parked the car on the shoulder and scanned through Tsujido's phone.

"What are you doing?" Kagura whispered.

"Just making a business call," Saiga replied, holding the phone to his ear.

. . .

Suitengu excused himself from the Defense Minister's side and answered his cell in the hallway.

"This had better be important," he said bitterly.

"Oh, it is." Saiga snapped.

Suitengu's eyes widened. "Mr. Saiga. What a pleasant surprise."

"Yeah, I'm sure. I want you to listen carefully to me. Up to this point, every henchman you've sent after me has been thrown off—including your personal lap dog. Why don't you just give up the chase and let us go? We're not doing you any more harm."

"I'm not interested in you, Mr. Saiga. All I want is the Goddess' safe return."

"Bullshit. You want to use her. You can't run the club without her, that's why you want her back. Just forget her! She has nothing to do with your twisted world anymore!"

"She created this 'twisted world,'" Suitengu stated. "She belongs to it, and she always will."

"Over my dead body!"

"I'll be happy to arrange that for you, Mr. Saiga."

"You've been trying; and so far, you've failed every time."

"I'm afraid I'm missing a meeting at the moment, so I'll have to end this conversation. Give my best wishes to my wife, photographer."

"Suitengu!" Saiga shouted.

. . .

"That son of a bitch hung up on me." Saiga stared at the phone in disbelief.

"Now what?" Kagura asked.

"We keep running. Do me a favor and copy down the numbers he's got in his phone. I'll pitch the phone, but I'd like to have access to Suitengu."

Kagura began scribbling the numbers on a napkin. She stopped suddenly.

"Things aren't going to be like they were for the past few days, are they?"

Saiga glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"I meant mostly…you. You aren't going to be the same. You'll be worried again and ask me about my health and yell when I don't want to tell you." Kagura brushed a tear from her eye. "And we'll just keep running—blind and scared and unhappy."

"Kagura," Saiga sighed. "I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to make you happy, okay?"

"That's not it. You do make me happy." She reached for his hand. "But nothing I do can possibly make you happy."

He shook his head. "No. You're wrong." He turned to smile at her. "In the last few days, you've me happier than I've been in a really long time."

She returned his smile. "So, I guess as long as we have each other, that's all that matters."

"Yeah," he said distantly. He glimpsed her fingers wrapped in his. "That's all that matters."

. . .

After adjusting to the bright sunlight, Tsujido slammed his fist into the bus driver's temple, making him crumble to the ground. Tsujido rummaged through the luggage, found some cash and a credit card and scouted the area. They were parked at a rest park—complete with payphones and a roadside diner.

He yanked a man from the phone booth. The man considered protesting until he saw Tsujido's face contort into a vicious snarl, then he turned tail and scuttled off to his car. Tsujido swiped the stolen credit card through the machine and dialed Niihari's number.

"Boss!" He answered. "Where the hell are ya? We've been lookin' all day and night for—"

"Shut up and let me talk," Tsujido commanded. "That bastard Saiga kidnapped me. When you called, he forced me to tell you stay put. Then he shoved me into a bus compartment instead of killing me like anyone with a brain would've done."

"Holy fuck! Well, what—"

"I said shut up! I'm at some godforsaken road stop on the Tohoku Expressway. Stop whatever you were doing and get over here now."

"Right away, Sir."

Tsujido hung up and dialed his own number. The dial tone ceased ringing, but no one said anything.

"God damn it, Saiga. I hear the car running." He gripped the phone cord. "You should have killed me when you had the chance. I will find you, and I will personally handle your demise. You will not die swiftly!"

"I took the liberty of calling your boss." Saiga finally said. "He understands what kind of a mess you're in."

"Your days are numbered!" Tsujido raged. "Enjoy them while they last!"

He slammed the phone into its holster and cracked the glass of the phone booth with his fists. Throwing open the door, he screamed threats at the wide-eyed people around him. They instantly shied away. He spotted the diner in the corner of his eye and stormed in its direction.

"I need a pitcher of water and whatever food you have hot—now." He shouted into the diner.

A waitress looked around her, helpless. "If you could just take a seat, I'll be with you in a moment."

"You'll be with me now." Tsujido glared and sat at the bar at the side of the room. Several people jumped out of the way as he did so.

The girl rushed to his side. "We-we have a lovely soup on right now if you'd like to try or—"

"I admire your attempt at normal service under the stressful circumstances," Tsujido said coolly. "But I don't want your spiel. Give me what I asked for immediately, and I'll consider letting you live when my men arrive."

"Your-your men, sir?"

"What did I just say?" He spoke slowly.

"I'll be right back with your water and food, sir." She ran in the opposite direction.

The room was silent except for a young man, sitting with a girl his age at the other end of the bar. He coughed as quietly as he dared. Tsujido stuck them both with his gaze.

"I'm feeling a bit bored, so I'll entertain myself." He stated flatly. "You," he nodded to the girl, "Does your boyfriend know you've been sleeping with another man?"

"I don't even know you!" She stammered.

"I can smell him all over you. His sweat smells fresh, so I assume you had sex with him in the last day or so."

"That's… that's not true."

"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry." Tsujido rubbed the cap over his nose. "That's three other men you've been sleeping with."

She gasped and flew off her chair, hurrying out the door. The young man simply gaped after her. Tsujido huffed.

"That was easy."

. . .

Author's Note:

I'm waiting for the day when I can threaten somebody with "I'll shoot your fucking arm off!" But I don't think that's going to happen.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

Hold on to your pants; this one's a doozie.

The following characters belong to Gonzo (as in the production company—who am I supposed to give credit to, anyway?).

. . .

"That's a nice composition." Saiga said, squinting through the camera that Kagura had set up on a tripod.

She grinned. "Thanks."

"You're really getting the hang of this."

"It's so much fun, Saiga." She stepped to the camera and snapped the picture. "I appreciate you teaching me."

"It's my pleasure," he replied. "I'm glad you enjoy it so much."

She spun the camera off the tripod and a fiddled with the focus ring. Settling into his side, she wrapped her arm around his waist and held the camera in front of their faces.

"Say cheese," she giggled.

He rested his cheek on her head. "Cheese."

. . .

"Tsujido?" Makabe called into the dark diner.

He slid off the barstool and grabbed the waitress' arm. He pointed to her. "Leave her. Kill the rest."

No one moved an inch as Tsujido passed Makabe and Niihari in the diner entrance. They poised their guns.

"You might want to get out of the way, miss." Niihari jerked his head at the waitress.

She clamped her hand to her mouth and fainted.

Tsujido climbed into the back of the car and stretched across the backseat. He listened to the gunshots ricocheting off bodies and walls and dishes. His eyes began to droop closed.

"So," Niihari said as he slipped into the passenger seat. "You wanna tell us what the hell happened?"

"Mr. Saiga has a death wish—that's what happened." Tsujido answered.

"Mr. Suitengu wanted you to call him when we picked you up." Makabe said, handing Tsujido his phone as he started the car.

"Mr. Suitengu," he droned when his superior picked up his phone.

"I trust that whatever you did will not happen again, correct?"

"Absolutely, Sir."

"Make sure it does not. Find that thief and bring back our Goddess, then. Your services won't be required in Tokyo for awhile. Just find that scum."

"Yes, Sir."

Twilight faded slowly into night, pushing yawns to Saiga's throat. He rubbed his eyelids. Fat raindrops began plunking onto the windshield—distorting his view and blending the brake lights and street lights. He flicked the windshield wipers on. They made little difference.

Frustrated and exhausted, he pulled off the road and yanked the keys out of the ignition. Giving Kagura a glance to make sure she was still asleep, he leaned his seat back and tried to take a short nap. He wasn't convinced a nap would help his eyesight, however.

"Saiga?" Kagura whispered.

He blinked his eyes open. "Oh. I thought you were asleep."

"Is something wrong?"

"The rain is making it hard to see, and I could use a little nap before I drive again."

"Do you want to stop for the night?"

Saiga shut his eyes again. "No, we need to keep moving. You should go back to sleep, too."

She settled back into her seat and watched Saiga as he drifted off.

Kagura's eyes were ablaze with excitement and the reflections of the fair lights. Saiga enjoyed her laughter, her enthusiasm.

They drove all through the next day, stopping once for a short meal. Kagura noticed an advertisement for a carnival not too far off the road, and Saiga agreed to take her. They both needed a break.

Every part of the carnival thrilled her. She held tightly to Saiga's arm and dragged him into every attraction the carnival could offer: the shadow puppet show, the cover-band concert, the bumper cars. Darkness settled over the spectacle, making the lights throw brilliant rays of gaudy colors into the air. Saiga introduced her to fair food. She convinced him to throw baseballs at tin bottles until he knocked the stack over. He won her a big stuffed teddy bear.

"This is great," she beamed.

Saiga slung the bear over his shoulders so she could polish off an ice cream cone. "Yeah." He grinned back at her. "Hey, what about the Ferris wheel?"

She nodded fervently.

The seats were tiny, so they were pressed together after Saiga wedged himself into the bucket seat. He tried to ignore her body, molded around his.

"I think these things are getting smaller," he muttered as the attendant pulled the lap bar onto their knees.

Kagura giggled as the wheel spun them into the air. She clasped his hand. "I wish I'd brought the camera."

He stole a glimpse of her contented features. She looked beautiful with her hair pulled back and eyes sparkling, lips tugged into a small smile. Saiga turned the other way when she caught him looking.

"It's so high up here," she stared past her toes at the ground.

He squeezed her hand. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"I lived on top of a tower my entire life." She grinned. "Heights don't faze me. What about you?"

"I jumped from helicopters." He shrugged.

"Look how tiny the people are," she leaned into him and pointed to a group in the distance. She laughed. "You're wearing that cologne."

"You told me to," he chuckled.

Kagura rested her head on his shoulder. "I think I could stay up here forever."

He suddenly felt nauseous. "Maybe not forever. It's awfully close quarters up here."

"I was only kidding." Her smile faded. "Are you okay? You look kind of pale."

"I'm fine."

As they swung into the lower loop, Kagura asked that they get off early. She led Saiga to a bench across the path.

"I'll be right back," she said. "I'll get you some water."

"No, I—"

She was already halfway gone when he protested. He sighed.

"Here." She jogged back to him and pressed a water bottle into his hand. "Drink this."

He opened his mouth again to object, but she added, "Please."

Saiga uncapped the bottle grudgingly and sipped it quietly.

"I thought you said you weren't afraid of heights."

"I'm not."

"What made you sick?"

"I was thinking…" He swirled the water around in the bottle. "Maybe Tsujido was right."

"What?" She gasped.

"Maybe I'm more like the rest of those freaks than I was willing to admit."

"That's not true!"

He laughed dryly and downed the rest of his water. "I think I'm feeling better. Do you want to ride some more things?"

Kagura stared at him intently. "Tsujido was wrong, Saiga."

'Now or never,' Saiga thought miserably. "Kagura, I need to tell you something. You may not look at me the same anymore after I'm finished, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. I need to get this off my chest."

"I could never think less of you," she admonished.

"When I look at you, I don't see a girl anymore. I see a young woman. When I'm around you, I get this feeling… And… Jesus Christ. I'm a fucking mess. I can't explain this."

"I think I understand."

"I don't think you do."

"No, I—" She blushed. "Saiga, you've made me happier than I've ever been. You've given me freedom." She smiled sincerely. "And at first I thought I was just awestruck, but I realized you weren't exactly fantastic—just normal. I liked that. And…when I… hold your hand… my heart feels like it's going to explode."

Saiga's fingers tightened around the plastic bottle.

"Am I very far off your point?" She was so embarrassed that she couldn't meet his eyes.

"No," he choked. "Maybe not."

Kagura continued. "I tried to reason with myself. We're so far apart in age; but… as much as I've looked for an answer, I can't find a single reason why that would matter."

Saiga hung on her every word. His eyes unfocused slightly as he flashed back to throwing himself out of a chopper, heading into the thick jungle, camera in hand, waiting for action so he could capture it on his film. This time he was making the action. Someone else would have to take a picture.

"Kagura, I think I love you." He whispered.

Her worry was lifted from her face, leaving only adoration. She tilted her head. "I think I love you, too." Her laughter was soft and nervous.

Slowly, as if moving too swiftly would scare her away, he leaned towards her.

"Maybe I can remember it this time." She smiled and closed the gap between them, letting her lips catch his.

'I'm alive,' Saiga thought numbly. He didn't even understand the idea. He kissed her back as long as he dared, then he sat away from her. Her eyes shone brightly. Reaching out his hand, he stroked her cheek; she closed her hand over his.

They sat on top of the car in the parking lot, each taking shy turns to touch one another timidly—a small kiss on the cheek, an arm around a waist, fingers to lips, lips to hair, lips on lips, and smiles all around. Nothing seemed unusual, only more open, as if they'd moved the furniture around: same parts, different locations.

Saiga had his camera to his face, using the telephoto lens to watch people climb out of their cars. He decided now would be a good time to dump their old car and exchange it for a new one, but he wanted to set someone up. He needed their pursuers to find the wrong couple to buy more time.

Finally, he found a tall, shaggy-headed man with a shorter brunette girl.

"Time to move." He said, jumping to the ground and helping Kagura down as well.

They grabbed their luggage and ran through the dark to the car the other couple just came from. Saiga began to unscrew the license plate while Kagura clumsily tried picking the car lock. He swapped the license with a similarly-colored car.

Kagura popped the door open and loaded their luggage into the trunk. Saiga scribbled a note onto an envelope and tucked the old car key into the inside.

"Let me read," Kagura demanded. He held the note to her. "You could be a little more sympathetic."

"That is sympathetic." He pointed.

" 'I'm exchanging cars. Your new grey station wagon is in row fifteen.'"

"Look, let's just get out of here before security gets wise to what we're doing. Is all their stuff out?"

"It's all here." She gestured to a pile beside the car.

Saiga set the envelope on top of the pile. "Alright, let's go."

. . .

Author's Note:

And there it is: the entire reason I started writing this fiction! It can only get better from here.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

The title of this chapter is really a work of art. Pbbt. Horrible.

I wanted to give Tsujido lots of screen time. I'll admit, I'm in love with him. He's pretty much the most kick-ass henchman ever created: you can take that to the bank!

The following characters—especially Tsujido—belong to Gonzo.

. . .

The following day, Tsujido got a call from one of their police informants. He gave a hurried explanation. "Sir, there's a c-car, and it matches the description you sent me, a-and there's a man and a girl—"

Tsujido tapped Makabe's shoulder and gestured towards the highway exit sign. Makabe swung the car through two lanes of traffic to speed down the access ramp.

"Have you stopped them?" Tsujido asked.

"Yes, sir. I told them I was processing his license. H-he's cuffed on the trunk of his car."

"Where are you?"

. . .

"Jesus. This guy looks like he's about to piss his pants," Niihari commented as they saw the officer.

He was pacing nervously by his squad car when Suitengu's lackeys parked behind the flashing government-issued vehicle. Tsujido slammed his car door: the policeman jumped.

"Oh! You got here fast!" He wiped his sweaty palms on his jacket.

Tsujido motioned to Niihari. "Grab him and hold him still."

"It's-it's the same car, right?"

Tsujido compared the license plate number with a picture from a traffic cam shot he had in his pocket. "It would appear that way, yes." He growled. He didn't smell like Saiga. Tsujido's doubt fanned the already burning flame of his irritation.

The man was face-down on the trunk of the car, shivering. Tsujido whirled him around.

"I swear to God, I didn't do anything." The man stammered. "I don't even speed!"

Tsujido gripped the man's shirt collar. "What is your name?"

"Simon!"

Tsujido shoved the man to the ground and stepped over him to the passenger seat. He wrenched the door open. The girl screamed.

"Shit," Tsujido cursed. He yanked the girl from her seat and dragged her towards the police officer. "Does this look like the Goddess to you?!" He pushed the girl away and palmed his gun, pointing the barrel at the quivering officer's head.

"She's not?" The officer quaked. "But I was sure! The car is the same!"

"I don't care about the fucking car!" Tsujido turned to the fearful couple behind him. "Get over here now!"

They crawled over to Tsujido, and he sat them at the officer's feet. Niihari grinned at them as he cocked his gun.

Tsujido marched to the other car and buried his nose in the passenger seat. He could definitely smell Kagura; the driver's seat wielded the same results for Saiga. Even in the back, he picked up his own scent—and the bleach. He whirled on the captives.

"Where did you steal this car?"

"You're not gonna believe this, but we didn't steal it! We went to this fair, see, and when we came out, our stuff was piled the parking space. There was a note with a key saying this car-jacker swapped cars! We didn't know what else to do, so we told the cops and took this car."

"Where was the fair?"

"About ten miles south on this road. There's a huge sign: you can't miss it!"  
"Do you know anything about the people who stole your car?"

"Nothing!"

"Pay close attention to what I'm about to say because it will not get repeated. I want you to get into the car, drive home and stay put. I'm sure the police will find your car soon enough, but if I see either of your faces again, I'll make sure you die. Do you understand?"

They nodded vigorously.

"Get out of here." Tsujido barked.

The man stumbled to the passenger seat, and the girl sprinted to the driver's door, shoving the gearshift into drive and speeding away.

Tsujido glared the officer down. "My time is very precious, and you've wasted a significantly large amount of it."

"I'm-I'm so sorry, Sir!"

"It's too bad an apology won't save your life."

. . .

Author's Note:

Unfortunately, the conclusion of this chapter means that I can't use the line "piss his pants" again in this fiction. Shit. I really like that line, too.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

These characters belong to Gonzo.

. . .

Saiga found a cheap, inconspicuous motel and rented a single room for the night. He'd driven all day straight and was exhausted. The room they found upon shuffling through the orange, peeling door was small—only small. There was no TV, a single bed, and a rattling radiator producing too much heat for the time of year.

He whistled under his breath. "Welcome home."

Kagura set her bag at the foot of the bed. "I'll use the comforter and sleep on the floor."

"No, that's ridiculous. I'll sleep on the floor."

"You're tired, Saiga."

"You're a lady, Kagura."

"Then we'll both sleep on the bed." Her cheeks flushed crimson.

Saiga turned to the window, flicking back the curtains to check the scenery. Kagura moved across the room to stand quietly beside him.

"Pretty sunset," she murmured. She wrapped her arm around his waist.

His heart leapt. Boldly—or what to him felt like boldness—he enveloped her shoulders with his arm. He watched her nuzzle his shirt and turn her eyes to look up at him, a grin blooming across her cheeks. Unconsciously, he bent down. She cupped his jaw and kissed him softly. Saiga felt increasingly guilty as he enjoyed her affection: the more comfortable Kagura became touching him, the more his stomach lurched when she did.

"Hey," he said, leaning away from her. "I saw a movie theater on the way up here. What do you think about catching a show?"

"Sounds fun!"

Kagura held his hand the whole way to the movies. Saiga's other hand fed cigarettes to his mouth, attempting to calm his jumpy nerves.

"You aren't okay with this, are you?" Kagura asked, frowning as smoke rolled from his lips.

Saiga almost swerved the car to gape at her. "I'm… I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing."

"You don't feel the same way I do?"

"I do feel the same way—maybe even more so. I like…this." His thumb traced her knuckles. "I like it a lot, but I'm worried that maybe… I'm too old."

"You aren't old, Saiga." She giggled.

"I'm twice your age."

"It doesn't bother me."

"And I'm thinking that maybe it should."

"You're saying I shouldn't love you?" Her brow creased in confusion.

"No. Ugh. I don't know what I'm saying; all I know is that I'm old, and you're young, and sometimes I feel weird about the things I think… about you."

"Like what?"

He decided he'd try a few things Bob spoon-fed to him. "Things happen differently for me. We have a huge maturity gap, and I'm ready for things that you aren't."

"Oh." She tore her eyes from the window and stared at him. "Saiga, I trust you; and if you go somewhere I'm not comfortable going, then I'll tell you. In the meantime, do us both a favor and stop worrying so much."

He tore his eyes from the road to meet hers. "I'll try."

. . .

Kagura chose a cutesy, girly romance. Saiga figured he's sleep through whatever movie they watched, anyway, so he readily accepted her choice. His eyes threatened to bring him into slumber at any moment, and he rubbed them fervently to keep himself awake.

He bought a bag of popcorn for them to share, and Kagura held it between them. Saiga slouched in his seat, right arm extended over Kagura's shoulders; she leaned into him, and he enjoyed the way her body shook against him when she laughed.

Just as he reclined his head back to nap, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He shifted his weight to fish it out, disturbing Kagura's attention with the screen. She flashed him a quizzical look.

"It's the doctor," he whispered.

Kagura followed Saiga into the hall when he answered the phone.

"Nice hearing from you, Doc."

"I bring good news."

"That's always welcome."

"There's a research facility in America that's willing to help you both. They've got an extensive DNA program and—"

"America?" Saiga echoed.

Kagura's eyes widened.

"Listen, that's great and all, Doc. But I have some bad news for you: there's no way we can get out of the country. Ginza took my passport, and there's no way we could get Kagura one, anyway."

"I've already taken care of that. I pulled some strings, and a friend of mine who owns a small printing company agreed to print you both a couple of passports—new names and all. No one will know you left."

"I wouldn't know how to get around. It's been years since I've spoken English, and I can't read the damn stuff."

"That's why I'm going with you. I'll be your tour guide."

"I learned English in school," Kagura interrupted. "I can and read and speak a pretty good amount."

"So…" Saiga scratched the back of his head. "America?"

"When can you be at the Tokyo airport?"

"Give me two days."

"Alright. Meet me there in two days, eight-thirty in the evening."

"Thanks, Doc. You're the best."

'That's what they tell me. Take care."

"America. . ." Kagura breathed. "Wow, Saiga."

. . .

Saiga put his back to Kagura and faced the stained, generic-flower wallpaper. For the life of him, he couldn't make himself sleep; he just kept counting the petals on a particularly large flower over and over again. Finally, he had no more resolve left, and he rolled on to his other side to find Kagura's eyes wide open.

"You can't sleep either, huh?" he asked.

"No."

He yawned. "I don't get it. I was almost falling asleep at the movies, but now I can't even shut my eyes."

"Are you worried about the trip?"

"Maybe." Things could get ugly if their passports didn't clear. "Are you?"

"I trust you and Doctor Ryogoku."

"It'll be an adventure—no matter what happens."

"Have you ever been to America?"

"I went once to New York City."

"What was it like?"

"Well, that was way back in the day. I was still in college, and I needed to fill an apprenticeship to get my degree, so I signed up with a fashion photographer who shipped me out to a show in New York. It's not a bad place. Lots of different people. But that's just New York; I don't know what the rest of the country's like." Saiga pulled the blanket over his shoulders. "But you know some English, huh?"

"Yeah. We learned a lot in school. They said it was good to know for business. Do you know much?"

"Eh. A little. I've worked with some American photographers before, so we spoke a kind of jargon. I know numbers well, though."

They laughed together. Kagura smiled wide and wriggled closer to Saiga.

"Can I tell you something?"

He fought with himself—needing to pull away but wanting to feel her breath on his cheeks at the same time. He gripped his pillow. "What?"

"I always dreamt about living in a fairy tale. I would pretend I was a princess locked away in a tower. A brave knight would come to rescue me, and he would whisk me off to someplace magical: happy and fun. Every time I ended my dream, my knight would take me in his arms and kiss me." She plucked the sheet. "I never thought I would ever be rescued or ever get that kiss."

"You're saying I'm your knight?" Saiga chuckled.

Kagura nodded.

Stretching out a finger, he pushed her bangs from her forehead. "I think you saved me just as much as I saved you. You've given me a purpose, a reason to struggle through all this shit and try to find some light." He smiled softly. "Thank you."

She curled her fingers around his hand and pulled him closer, pressing her lips against his. Surprise called on his instincts, and he wrapped his arm around her back and returned her kiss. Several breaths passed before Saiga's brain could find enough will to make any protest, but he desperately didn't want to. He felt her fingers spread against his chest.

"Okay," he broke away. "This is fantastic, and you're irresistible; but we need to lay down some ground rules. We can't kiss—can't touch—when we're in the same bed."

"Is something wrong?" Her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"No, nothing's…" He stole another brief kiss. "Nothing's wrong. But I can't tell myself I'll go slowly and kiss you in bed at the same time." He rolled over again to face the large flower. "We need to go slow."

Kagura stared at the back of his head and waited until her heart stopped thudding spastically. "Saiga?"

"Hm?"

Kagura sighed, smiling as she closed her eyes. "I like kissing you."

. . .

They ate donuts as they sped towards Tokyo. Saiga explained that they needed to drive the whole day—night included.

"You need to sleep sometime." Kagura objected.

"I'll take a nap or two this evening, but I don't need to sleep a lot. Do you think you'll be alright sleeping in the car?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine. You're the one I'm worried about."

"What's new?" Saiga laughed.

"It feels weird going back to Tokyo."

"We won't be there for long; we'll board the plane and get out of Japan. I can't believe I'm saying this, but America will be safer."

"You don't think Suitengu will find out, do you?"

Saiga glanced at her. "I don't know. I can only hope not."

. . .

Author's Note:

I have a confession. Saiga's uncertainty and discomfort are actually my uncertainty and discomfort: I realize there's a huge age gap between them, but they're such a good couple. So every time you see him back away, just think of me—awkwardly working my way through these scenes while trying to put myself in Kagura's shoes (hell yes, I'd take him!).

I don't know if Saiga would be that uncertain, but it makes me feel better when I write him that way.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

Honestly, I wrote this about a month ago, but I don't want to post a bunch and then not write for three or four months (like I've done with my other zillion fictions). Besides, now that I'm back in school, I have a firmer sense of reality, which means I have a hard time writing a romance/action fiction with a Japanese war photographer and fifteen-year-old girl.

I guess I need to rewatch some episodes and get myself psyched up again.

All of these characters belong to Gonzo.

. . .

With Dr. Ryogoku's guidance, Saiga and Kagura worked their way through the airport until they found him sitting on a bench in one of the large lobbies.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am." Saiga said.

Ryogoku waved his hand. "Save the thanks until we're all across the Pacific. Now here are your passports. Pay attention to the names: you're not the same people anymore."

Kagura opened her passport and read aloud her name. "Yamamoto Ari." She smiled. "I like it."

"And you're eighteen now, so you don't need any parental permission." Ryogoku added.

"Who're you, Saiga?"

"Watanabe Noboru," Saiga read. "Wow. You really did a number on my name, didn't you?"

"Consider it a gift from a friend." Ryogoku chuckled. "I couldn't help myself." He pulled up his sleeve to check his watch. "Our flight leaves in forty-five minutes, but we haven't made it through customs yet. We should get going."

. . .

Kagura pressed her face to the tiny window on her left, making small puffs of steam cloud her vision.

"Here." Saiga handed her a stick of gum. "Chew this. It relieves the pressure."

"Oh." She unwrapped the candy. "Thanks"

"So how've you two been?" Ryogoku asked. "Had any adventures since I saw you last?"

"A few run-ins," Saiga grinned. "But nothing we couldn't handle. What about you?"

"Nah. Just research—though it's fascinating stuff. I've never done anything like it before in my life."

"I bet not."

"Saiga," Kagura touched his arm. "Look! The plane's starting to move."

He leaned over her to peer out the window. "It'll probably take them awhile to get to the runway."

"Have you ever flown before, Kagura?" Ryogoku inquired.

She shook her head.

As the plane accelerated down the runway, Kagura's enthrallment with the window faded, and the color drained from her face. Saiga grasped her hand and offered a comforting smile. She began to calm down once they leveled their ascent. The flight attendant signaled their free will to move and announced the in-flight movies that would be showing in a short while.

Kagura whispered to Saiga. "Do they have a restroom here?"

He pointed her towards the front of the plane, and he watched her make her way down the aisle. Ryogoku took advantage of their isolation.

"How's she doing?"

Saiga waited until Kagura was safely inside the bathroom stall before answering. "She's been a lot better. Her headaches have stopped, and she hasn't had a fever since she took the painkillers."

"And you? How're the eyes?"

Saiga shrugged. "Not much has changed. I was having trouble reading small print for awhile, but as soon as that started, it went away."

"Well, that's good to hear."

. . .

Kagura nestled her head on Saiga's shoulders to sleep, and as he slowly drifted off to sleep as well, his head dropped onto hers.

Thirteen hours later, they landed in Los Angeles.

. . .

Their scent led Tsujido closer and closer to Tokyo, and he almost suspected a trap until they pulled into the airport parking lot.

"Shit," he cursed. "They must've boarded a plane."

Makabe and Niihari followed Tsujido as he stalked through the airport, trailing a day-old scent.

"How the hell did they make it onto a plane?" Niihari asked. "How'd Kagura get a passport? Wouldn't we have known it if she did?"

"If I had those answers, we wouldn't be in this fucking airport, would we?" Tsujido snarled. "Let's go. We don't have clearance to access these records."

"Who does?" Makabe interrupted.

"Our friends in law enforcement, of course."


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

I really love this chapter. As much as I hate Ginza, she's a hell of a lot of fun to write.

. . .

Ginza busted into her office at two in the afternoon, rousing herself enough from her drunken stupor to at least check in to headquarters to pick up her paycheck. Her office was devoid of its temporary staff, Shiina.

The captain's face twisted into a scowl. "I can't get even a fucking rookie to stay up here?"

The door swung gently open behind her. "Oh!" Shiina exclaimed. "Good afternoon, Captain. I just came back from lunch."

She grunted in acknowledgement. "What's all this shit on your desk? You're working on a case?"

"Yeah," he shifted his feet nervously. "The chief's got me working on an anonymous tip we picked up about one of our wanteds at the airport."

"Airport?" She was mildly interested. "Who?"

"Someone told us that someone fitting Tatsumi Saiga's description was at the—"

"What?" Ginza grabbed his shirt. "I'm working on Saiga's case, you piece of shit! Why wasn't I told about this?"

"It just came in yesterday morning," he stammered. "You haven't been here, so…"

"You have my number." She shoved him away. "You could have called!"

She whirled on her heel and stormed off. Shiina didn't want to be responsible for whatever destruction she was about to cause, so he crept to his desk to continue his work. Ginza barged into the chief's office, glaring at the extra occupants until they scuttled out of the room. She glowered down at the chief.

"Eh… Nice to see you, Captain." He laced his fingers together anxiously. "How can I help you?"

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me we got a tip about Saiga? I told you I was working on that case, Chief!"

"Y-yes, well. I didn't really see the point of bothering you. It was only a vague description, and we don't have any reports of his passport being cleared. It wasn't necessary for you to be alerted."

"I'll decide what is and isn't necessary for me to know." She jabbed her finger in the air. "And anything regarding Saiga is necessary."

Shiina rushed into the room. "Chief—a-and Captain Ginza, I think I found something."

"Well?" Ginza prompted.

"I took records of every passenger boarding planes from the day we received the tip and the day after." He spilled files onto the chief's desk. "Obviously Saiga's name wasn't on any of the flight rosters, so I cross-referenced every name with other records: social security numbers, addresses, anything with their identity. I finally found two names that didn't have any other information." He handed a file to Ginza. "Watanabe Noboru and Yamamoto Ari."

She opened the folder to find a scanned copy of their passports. Their pictures matched exactly.

"God damn it." She swore. "Where did they get these?"

"I also found this," Shiina continued. "There's a doctor named Ryogoku that was on the same flight with a seat next to Noboru's and Ari's. I did some digging on him. Apparently he and Saiga crossed paths in the war, and Saiga even did a small segment on him for the papers."

Ginza flipped to the newspaper clippings at the back of the folder. "So he's helping them sneak out. Where are they going?"

"They were on a flight to Los Angeles."

Chief Ekoda gaped. "America? Why would they go there?"

"Well, rookie." Ginza threw the file back to him. "I guess we'll go over there and ask them ourselves."

"C-Captain?"

"Pack your bags. We'll leave in the morning."


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

At this point, my overbearing optimism helped write the plot. Hurray! And I'll pretty much shatter all the horrible, point-making devices the writers took the whole season to develop with one chapter.

I'm posting this chapter now to celebrate the arrival of a very special book: the first ever Speed Grapher graphic novel! I preordered it about a month ago, and it arrived yesterday. Needless to say, I've already read it twice. Check out the Funimation store to get it! It's amazing! It's sort of an abridged version of the TV series, so there are some new scenes and dialogue, which makes me extremely giddy.

The next novel isn't coming to a shelf near you until December 2, though. Urgh.

All the characters (and their ailments) belong to Gonzo.

. . .

There was a line winding through the Los Angeles airport terminal, double-checking passports and luggage. Kagura was fascinated with all the sights.

"This is so much different than Japan!"

Saiga tapped a cigarette from its carton and held it in his lips. "I still see the same people—just with different hair and bigger bellies."

A security guard approached them and began waving his arm and babbling in English.

"What's he want?" Saiga asked Kagura.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, you'd better give it to him." She stepped behind Saiga.

"Look," Saiga held his hands open. "I don't speak much English, pal. Slow down."

The man pointed to his mouth.

"Maybe he's hungry?" Kagura mumbled.

Ryogoku looked up from his newspaper and blanched. "Saiga! Put that out!"

"What?"

"He wants you to stop smoking!"

Saiga frowned and put his unlit cigarette back into its pack. The guard shook his head and walked away.

"Can they do that?" Saiga turned to Ryogoku.

The doctor smirked. "Welcome to America. They put rules on whatever they want. Besides, smoking is terrible for you. You know that."

"I have a feeling it's not going to be a cigarette that kills me." Saiga replied sarcastically.

Two hours later, they were free from customs and climbed into a cab outside the airport. Ryogoku gave the driver instructions in English.

He pointed out a few sights to Kagura, then explained the shorter version of the itinerary. "We'll go back to the hotel for now. Tomorrow morning we'll run over to the lab and do some preliminary tests. You guys can go do something for the rest of the day; Disneyland is close by, so maybe you can go there?"

Kagura grinned at Saiga. "Can we?"

He chuckled. "I could probably be persuaded to do that."

. . .

Ryogoku treated Saiga and Kagura to their first American meal: pizza.

"I know we have pizza in Japan," Ryogoku said. "But Americans make their pizza differently."

"It's called fat." Saiga commented dryly.

Ryogoku smiled. "Maybe that's it. Whatever it is, it's good."

Kagura nibbled her food. "I don't think I can eat this whole slice."

Saiga finished his second piece. "So, doc. How'd you get a hold of this place you're taking us to? You got friends there or something?"

"A colleague of mine just transferred here a few months ago. We still keep in close contact, and I mentioned some of the DNA work I needed to complete. He's very interested in that kind of thing and is usually the first to know any breakthroughs—if he doesn't make them himself. He was very excited to hear about your case and eager to help."

"I'm not sure if 'excited' is what I want him to be." Saiga frowned. "We're not some kind of experiment. We need help."

"I know." Ryogoku reassured him. "One of the reasons I accepted his offer to help is because I know how attached he is with his patients. He almost became a surgeon, but he couldn't stand the thought of losing someone on the operating table."

"Sounds like a good guy." Kagura said.

"He is. You'll like him; trust me."

Saiga sipped his beer. "What are we supposed to do in the meantime? It's not like they're going to find a cure overnight."

"It depends on what kind of information we can get from you tomorrow. We may have to have you stick around for awhile."

"This is such a large city," Kagura smiled at Saiga. "I'm sure we can find plenty of things to do here."

"You're just itchin' to go to Disneyland." He laughed.

She giggled.

They finished their meal and called another cab to take them to the hotel. Kagura borrowed one of Saiga's small, point-and-shoot cameras and sat by the window to soak up all the sights.

. . .

"And your room is just across the hall." Ryogoku handed Kagura a plastic room key.

She took it hesitantly. "I'm not rooming with Saiga?"

"Oh, well…" Ryogoku looked over his shoulder at the photographer. "I thought maybe you'd like some privacy."

"Not really." She mumbled.

"We haven't been apart for awhile," Saiga explained. "And when we are apart, it's because someone split us up."

"How about I take the room across the hall and you two can share this room?" Ryogoku suggested.

Kagura smiled. "Thank you, doctor."

"See you in the morning," Saiga called as he shut the door.

Ryogoku gave him a bewildered look. "Good night."

. . .

Saiga didn't talk the whole way to the research lab. He had a terrible pit in his stomach, a result of the increasingly loud nag in the back of his mind: he should've told Kagura about both of their afflictions. It was too late to tell her now. Besides, what would he say? 'Oh, by the way, you've got a tumor that's slowly killing you; and I'm going blind.' Pushing his forehead into his palm, he sighed.

Kagura, sitting in the front seat of the cab, turned to look at him. "Are you nervous, Saiga?"

A feigned grin spread loosely across his face. "Nah, just a little tired."

"There's nothing to be nervous about," Ryogoku added. "It's just a few blood tests and such."

Saiga and Ryogoku exchanged glances. While Kagura was still in the shower earlier that morning, Saiga had explained to the doctor that he hadn't told her about anything about their recent discoveries.

The research lab was surrounded by a high-level security fence, and Ryogoku had to show his passport to the gatekeeper before the cab could pull into the parking lot. The white-washed building, even in its plain appearance, was ominous enough to make Kagura latch onto Saiga's hand in fear.

A Japanese man was standing outside the double-door entrance, waving and calling to Dr. Ryogoku.

"It's wonderful to see you again," Ryogoku shook his hand.

"The same to you!"

"This is my friend Saiga; and this is Kagura."

"I'm pleased to meet you," the man bowed, "though I do admit I wish we could've met by another circumstance."

"Thank you for working with us." Saiga returned his bow.

He led them into the lab, through fluorescent-lit corridors and several security checks. Finally, they met a nurse who took Kagura to get CAT scans and MRI scans. Ryogoku trailed Saiga to get his eye exams. Two other doctors received them in a small room.

"You'll also get CAT scans, but we only have one machine," they explained, smiling.

. . .

Two hours after their testing, Kagura and Saiga were reunited in a waiting room. Kagura sprang to her feet when Saiga entered the room.

"Look!" She shoved a couple tickets into his hand. "Disneyland!"

He chuckled and turned back to Ryogoku. "So we'll see you this evening?"

"Absolutely. We should have collected sufficient data to give you some answers tomorrow." He put a gentle hand Saiga's shoulder. "Relax and have a good time today."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Kagura beamed.

. . .

Kagura turned the plush Mickey over in her hands, smiling to herself as she recounted the day's adventures.

"What was your favorite?" she asked her bench partner.

Saiga flicked ash from his cigarette onto the pavement. "I liked all of it. What was your favorite?"

"I liked meeting Donald. He's so funny in the cartoons." When Saiga didn't give a response, she scooted closer to him and peered into his face. "You're upset."

"Hm?" He looked up. "No. I'm just worried about what Ryogoku has to say."

"Worrying won't solve anything." She leaned into him. "You know, I read in a magazine article some things that help clear anxiety."

He rolled his eyes mockingly. "I can only imagine what it said."

"Want to know?"

"Sure."

Kagura tugged on his jacket collar, pulling him down to her for a kiss. His eyes flew open in surprise: no matter how many times she did this, he never got used to it. She smiled as she released him.

"Kissing was one of the things."

Saiga swallowed. "Huh."

"Feel better?"

He flushed, itching the back of his neck to hide his embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess so."

Kagura giggled and pressed herself into him again. Slowly he adjusted to her persistent rhythm and wrapped one arm around her, cradling her face with his other hand. They were so engrossed with each other that neither noticed when a cab pulled up to the curb in front of them; Dr. Ryogoku opened his door and stood awkwardly, coughing behind his fist and hoping they'd notice him before they got any more involved.

Saiga broke away to take a breath and yell at whoever was staring at them. His words died in his throat.

"Oh," he muttered.

Kagura blushed. "Hi, Doctor."

"Sorry to interrupt," Ryogoku replied.

. . .

No one spoke in the cab ride back to the hotel, and Saiga and Kagura avoided each other in the elevator—both thinking of the irony that Ryogoku had prematurely assumed them to be a couple when they had first met in Japan.

In the hall, Ryogoku caught Saiga's shoulder as he tried ducking into his room. Saiga flashed a pained expression at the door before turning to face his friend.

"Could I speak to you for a moment?" Ryogoku said quietly.

Kagura disappeared into their room before she could be roped into the conversation. Saiga sighed and followed the doctor into the opposite door.

Ryogoku sank onto the corner of his bed. "As a friend, I don't want to know what's going on between you two. It's none of my business, anyway. But as a doctor researching your conditions, I need to know because I may have a hunch."

Saiga clutched his cigarettes in his pocket. "What do you need to know?"

"Was that the first time you two have. . . "

"No."

"So how long have you been. . . "

"Hell, I don't know." He scratched his head. "A couple weeks maybe?"

Ryogoku leaned forward on his elbows. "Interesting."

"What's your hunch?"

"I won't say anything yet." He stood and shoved his arms into his jacket sleeves. "I don't want to jinx it, but if what I think is true, then we could very well be. . . " He ushered Saiga out of the room, closing it tightly and bustling down the hall.

"Hey! You'll tell me what you've found, right?" Saiga called.

Ryogoku was too occupied with his theory to hear him, and he rushed around the corner as he zipped up his jacket.

. . .

Saiga answered the door with his eyes half open.

"It's five thirty," he mumbled as he allowed Ryogoku to enter the room.

"I know it's early," Ryogoku's eyes shone with excitement. "But we have very good news to share with you. Get dressed immediately."

. . .

Saiga forced Kagura to wait in the hall while he, Ryogoku, and two other doctors discussed the results of the previous day's lab tests.

"At first we only had data," Ryogoku explained excitedly. "But after I posed my theory, we understand the results of the tests, and we can predict what's going to happen to both of you."

Dropping into a folding chair beside the door, Saiga rubbed his eyes. "Can you please stop beating around the bush? What's going to happen to us?"

"Not only can we tell you _what_—we can tell you why!"

"Listen, my nerves are about as shot as they're going to get. What's going on?"

One of the doctors clipped pictures to a light box on the far wall. "Take a look at this: Kagura's brain. These here," he gestured to a couple scans on the left, "were taken four weeks ago. As you can tell, the tumor is quite large. The other scans were taken yesterday."

Saiga crossed the room and studied the depictions with his jaw agape. "They shrunk."

"Yes," Ryogoku answered. "And your test results had the same conclusion: your eyes are even stronger and more perceptive than the last time we checked you. When I came back to the lab last night, we did some more work with the DNA samples to see what a prolonged exposure to the catalyst would do to another person's DNA. The DNA continued to change. It was less dramatic the next few times, and the person wouldn't feel the effects—like you did the first time you came into contact with the catalyst. Rather, the DNA made very slight variations."

"In other words. . . " Saiga prompted.

Ryogoku smiled. "In other words, when you continued to expose yourself to the catalyst, er rather, to kiss Kagura, your DNA continued to change."

"So," Saiga passed his hand over his eyes. "That's good, right?"

"That's excellent." One of the other doctors cut in. "We believe your optic nerve, which was deteriorating and causing your eyes to eventually fail, has started strengthening—meaning you can go ahead and take picture."

Judging by the blank look on Saiga's face, Ryogoku decided he still didn't understand. He gripped Saiga's shoulder. "You're not going blind."

Half of the pit in Saiga's stomach vanished, but another small part still nagged him. "What about Kagura? I know her tumor has shrunk but. . . What does that mean?"

Ryogoku continued beaming. "In the same way she's saved your eyesight, you've saved her life. The tumor growth was caused by an unnatural block of hormones. By taking her under you care—away from whatever Suitengu was doing to her and giving her a relaxed environment, normal hormone production has begun; and eventually her tumor will be completely gone."

Saiga felt as if he would collapse. His voice shook as he asked, "So she's okay?"

"She's more than okay. In fact, she's quite the healthy girl now—even gaining a little bit of weight from muscle growth."

Saiga fell silent, glancing at the other men in the room, smiling at him as if they had awarded him some sort of prize. He stumbled to the door and found Kagura waiting down the hall; her brow crinkled when she saw him, and she rose to embrace him.

"You're crying."

He wordlessly squeezed her to his chest, dripping tears onto the top of her head. "We're okay. . . We're okay. . . "

. . .

Author's Note:

When I finished watching the entire season, I was shocked that Saiga was blind. I mean I knew it was going to happen, but my inner child was just begging for Ryogoku to pop up on the rooftop in the final battle and say, "I found a cure!" and then Suitengu would get so caught up in their joy that he'd forget his whole 'destroy society' plan and join in a big group hug. Tsujido would live. Kagura would find a less annoying voice and a time machine to advance her age to about twenty two instead of fifteen. And Ginza would drop off the face of the Earth.

However, none of that happened, so I wrote this fan fiction. Tada!


End file.
